Melodic Moments – Q&A

Curious about our Melodic Moments concerts and wondering if they’re right for you? Then you’ve come to just the right place!

What are Melodic Moments?

Melodic Moments is a new, regular concert series from Sinfonia Viva, the orchestra of the East Midlands. They’re an opportunity to enjoy new music and old favourites in a welcoming, informal environment, and take place every two months at Derby’s Museum of Making. For details of our next concert visit What’s On | Sinfonia Viva concerts

Who are the concerts for?

Simply put, everyone! They’re part of our long-standing commitment to make classical music accessible to all.

Our Melodic Moments concerts follow a relaxed format, with an informal seating arrangement around tables. You’re welcome to make yourself comfortable in your preferred seats, move about and even dance along to the music if the mood takes you!

This makes them well-suited for those living with dementia or other additional needs, as well as their carers and families. One carer can attend for free with each full-price ticket purchased, and post-concert refreshments are included too!

We’re confident there’s something in our programme to suit every taste. All ages are welcome: our youngest Melodic Moments audience member so far was just 3 years old!

Who will I be listening to?

Our Melodic Moments ensembles feature wind players from Sinfonia Viva. Concerts are given by quintets or trios, comprising of combinations of flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and French horn. You’ll also be guided through the programme by a presenter: for our December and February concerts we’ll be joined by Caroline Welsh, an experienced creative project leader and performer.

What kind of music can I expect?

We structure our programme around a loose theme but make sure there’s plenty of variety to keep you entertained. In our most recent concert we were ‘Dancing Through Time and Place’ with rumbas, waltzes and polkas a-plenty, and travelled from Paris to the Mississippi Delta in just 60 minutes!

We’ll play some well-known pieces and introduce you to some composers who might be less familiar to you. We hope you might even discover some new favourites among them!

This Spotify playlist has a selection of the music for the upcoming concert.

How long does the concert last?

The concert starts at 2pm and the programme lasts for approximately one hour, so you’ll easily beat the rush hour traffic on your journey home! Afterwards, you are welcome to join us for a cup of tea and a slice of cake (all included in the ticket price!), and the opportunity to chat with our musicians and staff.

What’s the venue like?

Our concerts take place in the Italian Mill at Derby’s Museum of Making, located on the banks of the River Derwent and across the green from Derby Cathedral. The central bus station is a 10-minute walk along the river and there are several multi-storey car parks (including Bold Lane and Chapel Street) nearby. The venue has a level entrance and accessible toilet, and there is a drop-off area directly outside.

The museum itself is free to enter, so why not make a day of it and enjoy the exhibits before or after the concert? There’s also a café open throughout the day if you fancy a spot of lunch (but make sure you save some room for cake after the concert!)

Can I attend as part of a group?

Absolutely, the more the merrier! Why not arrange an outing for a social or community group, or simply enjoy an afternoon out with friends. Seating for our concerts is unreserved, but if you let us know you’re attending as a group (or make the booking altogether) we can save you a table to ensure you can all sit together.

If you work in a care setting and are interested in arranging a trip to a Melodic Moments concert, we’d love to welcome you along and are happy to answer any questions you may have ahead of the visit. We’re also happy to arrange a free ticket for a staff member so you can ‘try before you buy’ if you wish!

I’ve still got questions!

We’d love to hear from you if you’d like to find out more! We’d also love to spread the word so that as many people as possible can enjoy our concert series, so if you’d like us to send you some flyers or posters do get in touch.

For all enquiries about Melodic Moments please contact Natalie Edwards at [email protected] or call 07828 315520.